Braised fennel with lemon

For ➋ or ➍ (as side dish)

3 fennel bulbs, quartered

15-25 cl water**

8 cl olive oil

2 ts ground fennel seeds

2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice* 

1 tbs chopped fennel fronds

Arrange the fennel in a large skillet. Add enough water to the pan to come at lease halfway up the sides of the fennel. **

Drizzle the fennel with the olive oil, sprinkle with the fennel seeds and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Bring the fennel to a simmer, cover and cook over medium heat, shaking the pan every now and then, until the fennel is tender, 20-30 m.** 

Remove the lid for the last few m of cooking to allow the liquid to reduce and thicken. 

Stir in the lemon juice* and fennel fronds. 

Serve the fennel drizzled with the thickened cooking liquid. 

Serve with roasted chicken, grilled halibut or salmon, grilled or roasted meats. 

*Use fresh blood orange juice instead.

**Chop the fennel, add 4 tbs blood orange juice, 2 tbs olive oil, cover and cook in the microwave (about 7 m for 500 g fennel). Serve with cherry tomatoes and fregola, and roasted salmon.

Asparagus with orange & coriander dressing

For ➍
8 green asparagus
8 white asparagus
½ bunch coriander
1 orange
4 slices raw ham
2 tbs white wine vinegar
4 tbs olive oil
pepper & salt

Rinse the asparagus. Just peel the white. Remove the hard end. Blanch them separately al dente in salted boiling water*. Drain.
Cut (very thinly) a slice of the orange and divide it into strips. Squeeze out the orange. Cut the coriander (keep it a little bit different for garnishing).
Beat the oil with the vinegar and 4 tbs orange juice into a dressing. Add the chopped coriander and season with salt and pepper.
Arrange the asparagus and the ham on the plates. Pour over the dressing. Finish with orange peel and coriander.

*Use microwave to steam the asparagus: add 1 tbs of water, cook 3-4 m/250 g, slightly less for green asparagus.

Niwatori shijutsu wa sarada (Japanese cucumber & chicken salad)

For ➍
2 cucumbers, julienned
2 chicken breasts
2-3 slices fresh ginger root
1 tbs sake*
½ ts salt
dressing:
4 tbs ground white sesame seeds
2 ts rice vinegar**
2 ts sugar***
2 ts soy sauce
1 tbs mayonnaise

Place cucumber strips in a bowl. Sprinkle ½ ts of salt over them. Lightly knead by hands. Set aside for a few m. Squeeze cucumber to remove the liquid.
Boil water in a medium pan. Add ginger, sake, and salt in the pan. Boil chicken breasts until cooked.
Drain chicken breasts.**** Tear into thin strips.
Mix all the ingredients for dressing in a bowl.
Put chicken and cucumber in the bowl and mix well.
Serve chilled.

*Use dry sherry.
**Use white balsamico.
***Use mirin.
****Or: put chicken in an open parcel. Add sake, salt and ginger slices. Marinate for 30 m. Add a few drops of oil. Close the parcel to a paillotte . Cook in the 180°C preheated oven for 20-25 m. Or use a microwave, cooking times depending on weight(about 2 m / 100 g).

Haddock with cauliflower & romanesco

For ➋
2 mini romanescos*
2 mini cauliflowers*
400 g haddock fillets
2-3 tbs goat cheese
1 tsp curry
1 tsp turmeric

Wash the vegetables. Cut a cross in the base. Bring water to boil in a steamer. Steam uncut vegetables for 3-4 m.
Meanwhile, steam the fish in microwave (about 1 m per 100 g). When ready, sprinkle with pepper and salt.
Mix 2-3 tbs of cheese with the curry and turmeric. After removing the vegetables rom the steamer, put a suitable cup with the cheese in in the steamer for 1 m.
Serve the fish alongside with the vegetables and the curry mix on 2 plates.

*Use larger cabbages and cut them in florets.

Chokotoff sauce

For ➍
150 g chokotoffs, crudely chopped*
a bit of milk or cream*

Put the chokotoffs in a microwave safe jug.
Add a bit of milk or cream.
Put in the microwave for 3 m at 650 W.
Serve hot with ice cream, or as a topping over tiny crèpes with ice cream.

*Alternatively, mix 150 g of chopped chokotoffs, 1 chopped bar of dark chocolate, 10 cl fresh cream and a pinch of salt in a small pan. Melt everything on low heat. Serve with ice cream.

'Chokotoff' (from 'chocolate' and 'toffee', and a wordplay on the Brussels' 'tof', meaning 'great!') is a Belgian sweet, invented in 1934 by famous Belgian chocolate-makers Côte d'Or. It has a half-soft caramel inside, covered in crispy dark chocolate. Each piece is wrapped as a small present, featuring the Côte d'Or elephant. It is a national institution, and the news that production would move from Belgium to Lithuania caused quite a stir. New owners, Kraft Foods, and Mondelèz  introduced a milk chocolate version, a white chocolate version (abandoned) , and a choco spread with the same taste (abandoned) .
Read another Côte d'Or chocolate inspired dessert: parfait glacé Dessert 58.

Radicchio salad @ microwave

For ➋
40 g blue cheese
40 g chive oil
25 g hazelnuts, peeled
10 g chives
120 g radicchio, half of a head
olive oil
salt
50 g buttermilk

(Optional: Place blue cheese in the freezer. While this step is purely aesthetic—frozen cheese will curl prettily when it is peeled—the freezer is a good place to store blue cheese so that it's always ready for salads and such.)
Make the chive oil with blanched fresh chives, blend them with oil, strain through a sieve.
Heat oven to 165°C.
Spread hazelnuts on a sheet pan and toast until golden brown, about 30 m.
As the hazelnuts toast, agitate the sheet pan every 5 m for even browning.
Remove hazelnuts from oven and transfer to a large zip-lock bag. Lay the bag flat on a work surface and smooth it so that nuts spread out in an even, single layer. Roll a rolling pin over the bag, repeating until hazelnuts are crushed into small crumbles.
Mince the chives.
Wash radicchio and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove any damaged or wilted outer leaves. Cut radicchio into quarters.
Dress each piece with a generous amount of olive oil.
Place radicchio in microwave-safe dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
Cook on high for 40–50 s. Puncture plastic with a knife to allow steam to escape.
Remove from microwave. Radicchio should be warm and wilted, with just a little crunch remaining.
Cut white core from the radicchio and assemble leaves in a serving bowl. Dress with salt, minced chives, buttermilk, and chive oil.
Just before serving, sprinkle hazelnuts over salad and shave or crumble blue cheese on top.

Cinnamon apples @ microwave

For ➋-➍
2 apples, peeled, cored & sliced
1 ts cinnamon

Place apples and cinnamon in a microwave safe bowl and stir until apples are coated with cinnamon. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top to let the steam escape. Place in the microwave and cook on high for 1 m.
Remove apples from the microwave and carefully remove the plastic cover. Stir apples and re-cover. Cook for 1 m longer.
Serve. Add a blotch of ice-cream, if wanted.

Provençal redfish stew @ microwave

For ➍
4 200 g redfish fillets
4 tomatoes
4 shallots
250 g mushrooms
2 zucchini
1 red pepper
2 cloves of garlic
10 cl olive oil
roux (optional)
1 ts herbes de Provence
2 tbs chopped parsley
salt & pepper

Drop the tomatoes in boiling water, cool immediately in cold water. Peel and remove the seeds. Cut the flesh into strips. Chop the shallots finely. Crush the garlic. Cut the mushrooms, zucchini and bell pepper into cubes .
Coat a microwave bowl with olive oil. Cover the bottom with the shallots, garlic and mixed herbs. Season with salt and pepper, cover and heat 4 m at 750 W.
Add the sliced ​​tomatoes, diced mushrooms, zucchini and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper and cook 3 m at 850 W. Coat another microwave bowl with olive oil. Spread the fillets evenly and cover with the vegetables. Cover and heat 6 m at 850 W. Let stand for 2 m. Bind with a light roux.*
Serve on warm plates. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with pasta or fried rice.

*Discard the roux to get a more ratatouille side-dish.

Garlic scampi @ microwave

For ➍
100 g butter
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
½ ts salt
⅛ ts white pepper
500 g medium prawns, peeled & deveined

In a shallow microwave baking dish, combine all ingredients except shrimp. Cook, uncovered, on high power for 3-4 m or until butter is melted and mixture is hot, stirring once during cooking.
Add shrimp and stir to coat. Cover with microwave safe plastic wrap, venting one corner, on high for 3-5 m or until shrimp curl and turn pink. Let stand on solid surface, covered, for 3-5 m before serving.
Serve with rice or linguini pasta for as a main course, or with good bread as a starter.

Microwave cake with ganache frosting

For ➍-➏
10 cl sunflower oil, plus extra for pan
175 g caster sugar
140 g plain flour
3 tbs cocoa
3 ts baking powder
2 large eggs
1 ts vanilla essence
chocolate sprinkles, to serve
for microwave ganache:
100 g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
5 tbs double cream

Grease a 22 cm silicone microwaveable cake pan with a little oil and place a circle of baking parchment in the bottom.
Mix sugar, flour, cocoa and baking powder in a bowl. In a jug, whisk the oil, eggs, vanilla and 10 cl hot water until combined.
Add liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until you have a lump-free batter. Pour mixture into the cake pan and gently tap to pop any air bubbles. Cover with cling film.
Microwave on full power (800 watts) for 7 m. Remove and check if the cake is cooked by poking a skewer into the middle: if it comes out clean it is ready. Allow cake to stand for 5 m, then remove cling film and turn out onto a cooling rack.
For the ganache, melt the chocolate on half power (600 watts) for approximately 2 m, stirring every 30 s until melted. Add the cream and mix thoroughly until smooth and glossy.
Once the cake is cool, spread over the ganache and scatter with the sprinkles.
Serve. The cake will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Sea bass with porcini & cauliflower

For ➍
4 sea bass fillets with skin, each 200 g (or redfish or cod)
125 g dried porcini mushrooms
1 small cauliflower (or broccoli)
butter
olive oil
salt & pepper
1 slice smoked ham
1 chopped shallot
1 finely crushed clove of garlic
½ glass of dry white wine
2.5 dl fish stock
1.25 dl cream
thyme, bay

Soak the porcini mushrooms in water and let it drain thoroughly. Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil with the chopped shallot , garlic and chopped ham.
Deglaze with the white wine. Add the fish stock , thyme , bay leaves and cream. Reduce to half . Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Grind the cooked sauce in a blender. Press them through a fine sieve.*
Divide the cauliflower into florets. Boil briefly in water and cook them further in some butter. Season with salt and pepper.
Steam (or poach ) the sea bass fillets with the skin side down. Count about 10 m.**
Divide the porcini on 4 warm plates. Place the fish on top. Arrange the cauliflower florets around and spoon the sauce over the fish. Garnish with parsley, some dried rose berries and a cooked crayfish.

*Or serve the mushrooms without grinding.
**Or cook in the microwave: 1 m/100 g.

Black cod with scallions & ginger @ microwave

For ➋-➍
2 225 g black cod fillets, with skin or not (or use halibut, rockfish, trout, black sea bass, pomfret or sole)
4¼ ts soy sauce
¼ ts sesame oil
4 0.6 cm thick round slices of ginger plus 1 tbs finely julienned ginger, for garnish
5 or 6 scallions, white & green parts separated & julienned
1½ ts Shaoxing or other white wine
3½ tbs peanut oil

Place each fillet in a separate microwave-safe zip-top bag, then place the bags skin (or skinned) side down next to each other on a microwave-safe plate.
In a small bowl, combine soy sauce and sesame oil. Set aside. Divide ginger coins and white part of scallions between the 2 bags. Pour half the wine (¾ ts) into each bag. Push air out as much as possible.
Microwave until fish becomes opaque and flakes easily, 3½ to 5 m in an 800-watt oven.
Transfer each fillet to a warm serving plate and drizzle each with half of the soy sauce mixture. Garnish with scallion greens and julienned ginger.
In a small pan, heat peanut oil until sizzling. Drizzle the hot oil over each fillet and serve immediately.

Meringues @ microwave

For ➍
300 g icing sugar
1 lightly beaten egg white
whipped cream (optional)
tropical fruit (optional)

Sift 300 g of icing sugar over 1 lightly beaten egg white. Stir until the mixture is a thick, pliable icing and roll into balls. Line a plate with kitchen paper.
Put 3 balls at a time on the plate and microwave them on high for 1½ m and watch as the balls balloon and puff into meringues.
When they are cool, use the meringues in desserts, for instance sandwiched together with whipped cream and sliced tropical fruit.

Sicilian broccoli

For ➋
500 g broccoli, sliced in long portions from stem to floret
3 cloves garlic, sliced
¼ ts hot red pepper
¼ ts salt
5 tbs olive oil or enough to coat

Steam broccoli in a steamer until bright green. Or cook for 10 m in microwave oven.
Remove from heat.
Transfer to shallow dish. Cover with olive oil. Add garlic, pepper and salt to taste.
Marinate in refrigerator overnight.
Serve as a cold side-dish or at room temperature with cold chicken or cold white fish.*

*Marinate chicken pieces in mix of lemon juice and single-flower honey. Bake in oven or in microwave. Eat cool or lukewarm.

A battlefield for centuries, between Greeks and Romans, between Christendom and Islam, between Christian emperors from Normans to Bourbons, Sicily stayed the poor island it always was, with peasants and fishermen turning to the local Mafia for dearly paid help to keep some of their produce as own food. The invaders brought vegetables and fruit, never before grown in Europe, and influenced the simple cooking. Broccoli seemed to have arrived on Sicily with the Romans.
Read more Sicilian recipes: an almost Sicilian salad, tartar of shrimps & artichokes, Sicilian swordfish, Sicilian olive sauce, spaghetti with tomatoes, capers & mint.

Mug chocolate cake @ microwave

For ➊-➋
4 tbs flour, sifted
4 tbs sugar, sifted
2 tbs unsweetened cocoa, sifted
2 tbs whisked egg*
3 tbs milk
3 tbs oil
3 tbs chocolate chips**
splash vanilla or other flavoring, e.g. peppermint or cinnamon
icing sugar

Add all of the dry ingredients to the mug and mix.
Add the egg* and combine well.
Stir in milk and oil.
Add chocolate chips** and splash of vanilla. Stir well.
Microwave for 3 m in a 1000w oven, or 4 m in a 700w oven.
It will crown over the top of the mug, but collapses once the heat stops.
Shake out of the mug. Serve warm with a dust of icing sugar. Or let it cool for about 30 m. Serve with red fruits.

*1 egg is too much, 1 egg white is too eggy, 1 yolk is too dense. Omit egg for a fudgier texture. Or replace with an extra tbs of milk.
**Or a broken up candy bar.

Lime cheesecake @ microwave

For ➌-➍
3 tbs butter, melted
40 g (about 9) graham cracker crumbs
1 tbs sugar
250 g cream cheese, softened*
40 g sugar
zest of 1 lime**
2 tbs fresh lime juice**
1 egg

Combine the graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and 1 tbs sugar. Divide between 2-4 25 cl jars or ramekins and press into the bottom.
Mix the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Divide evenly into jars or ramekins with crumbed bottoms.
Place in microwave for 2 m (@700 w). The top of the cheesecake should appear dry when cooked. If it doesn’t look quite done, microwave at 30s intervals until the tops appear dry.
Chill in refrigerator for 1 h. Garnish with whipped cream or fresh berries and serve.

*Use mascarpone instead
**Replace lime and lime juce with lemon or vanilla for a different taste.

Lime marmalade

For ➑-➓ jars*
18 large Persian limes (-/+ 1.5 kg), peeled, zest cut into thin strips 5 cm long (or a mix of limes & lemons)
1.8 l water
3 kg sugar

Cut the peeled limes in half and squeeze the juice. Set the juice aside.

Scrape the pulp and seeds from the lime halves. Place in a cheesecloth bag. Place the cheesecloth bag, zest, juice and water in a large saucepan, then cover them and soak overnight, or for about 8 h.**

Bring the water mixture to a boil*** and cook about 2 h, until the peels are soft. Remove the cheesecloth bag. Add the sugar to the pan and stir to dissolve. Boil, stirring often****, until a cooking thermometer reaches 180°C.

Ladle slightly cooled marmalade into clean jars*****, leaving 0.5 cm of headspace. Cap and seal. Process for 10 m in a boiling-water-bath canner.

*Or for ➌-➍ jars: 6 large limes, 40 cl water, 750 g sugar, (a pinch of salt).
**Necessary to soften the zest.
***Limes can be reluctant to set. Add a small quantity of bicarbonate of soda to the mix before cooking: (less than levelled) 1 ts per 1 kg lime or lemons, or ½ ts for a 50/50 mix with orange or mandarine.
****Avoid stirring for 20 m after sugar is disolved for a clearer marmalade. Stirring might avoid burning though.
*****Sterilise the jars by placing them in the microwave on high for 6 m or about 12 m into the rolling boil. The jars should be hot when pouring the jam in, otherwise they will crack. Sterilise the lids by placing them in a saucepan of boiling water for 5 m.
******Use microwave for small quantities: 1 large piece of citrus fruit or 2 small ones (orange, lemon, tangerine, lime, etc). Wash it well and cut into chunks, skin and all. Remove all seeds and coarsly chop. Measure fruit and add equal amount of sugar to 2 l Pyrex measuring cup or similar size bowl. Stir to blend. Cook on 100% power for 8 m, stirring occasionally. Cook until thickened. Pour into jam jar, cover and refrigerate.

Lime marmalade was popularized by Rose & Co., a company that started preserving lime juice imported from the West Indies (Dominica) in 1867, to make alcohol free lime juice cordial, a concentrated drink to prevent scurvy, mainly in the British Navy. The peel and flesh that was left over from making the lime juice was soon used to make lime marmalade, as already practiced by West Indian cooks. The now world-famous Rose's lime marmalade was introduced as a luxury alternative to traditonal orange marmalade.

Glazed turnips @ microwave

For ➍
6 white turnips
6 tbs concentrated (chicken) broth
2 tbs honey
dill
white pepper

Peel and slice the turnips quite thin. Lay them in an ovenproof dish. Add 4 tbs of the chicken broth.

Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 8 m.

Combine the honey with the rest of the broth. Pour over the turnips and microwave 4 m uncovered.

Let stand 3 m. Sprinkle with dill and white pepper before serving.

Serve as a side-dish with grilled fish or chicken.

*Or peel and slice the turnips. Cook for 8-10 m per 500 g for plain turnips.

Garlic prawns @ microwave

For ➍*
500 g large shrimps
100 g butter
2 gloves garlic, crushed
½ tbs lemon juice
½ tbs chopped fresh parsley

(Thaw), shell and devein prawns.

Put butter and garlic in a large dish. Cook on high for 1 to 1.5 m.

Add lemon juice, parsley and shrimps. Cover. Cook at 70% for 8-9 m (or until shrimps turn pink).

Stand for 5 m, before serving.

*Or 8 as an appetizer or starter.

Read the classic scampi & garlic or the Spanish version.

American potato wedges @ microwave

For ➋
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ ts Italian seasoning mix (oregano, basil, marjoram, rosemary, thyme)
½ ts Hungarian paprika or red chili powder
¼ ts salt
½ ts garlic powder
2 large baking potatoes, unpeeled
1 tbs freshly grated Parmigiano or Padano cheese

In a mixing bowl, combine olive oil, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and garlic powder. Mix well to blend.

Scrub potatoes well.

Cut potatoes lengthwise into eight wedges.

Drop potato wedges into seasoning mixture and toss to coat.

Arrange potato wedges in a single layer in a 20x30 cm microwave-proof dish.

Pour remaining seasoning mixture over potatoes.

Microwave on full power for 8 to 10 m or until tender. Turn wedges over at half time of cooking.

Remove from microwave and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Serve hot with a dip sauce like sour cream and chives, or as a side dish with roasted chicken. You might omit the cheese.

Potato wedges are a variation of french fries. In some regions of the USA, potato wedges are known as jojos or mojos and are fried in the same vat as chicken.
The baking method in the traditional oven (40-50 m at 200°C in an oiled dish, turn wedges several times) is less fatter than the frying. This microwave method even less so.
It is known in Germany as Kartoffelspalten. Add some onions and 5 m before ending quartered cherry tomatoes.
A similar inspired recipe involves chicken & chorizo.